Overemployment: The hidden trend quietly killing productivity in remote teams

As fully remote roles become harder to find, a lingering trend continues to cause problems for employers that still offer them. Overemployment is not entirely new, but its surge in the wake of the pandemic has caught many organizations off guard, leaving them unprepared to manage the risks it brings.  

Let’s take a closer look at what overemployment is, the risks it poses, and how HR can spot the red flags. 

What is overemployment?

Overemployment, also known as polyworking, is the growing practice of holding two or more full-time jobs at once in secret.  

What used to be a fringe behavior is now a deliberate strategy for a segment of remote workers who want to maximize income, hedge job security, or simply beat a system they no longer trust. This phenomenon goes far beyond moonlighting, side hustling, or an after-hours consulting gig. Overemployment is the tactic of holding two or more salaried roles during the same 9-to-5 window, frequently by doing the bare minimum, toggling between meetings, dodging accountability, and stretching deliverables just far enough to stay undetected.

Overemployment is a direct threat to business health. It drains productivity, creates compliance and security risks, and erodes the trust that companies work hard to build. For HR and leadership, the challenge is spotting overemployment early and addressing it decisively, without creating a culture of suspicion or overreach. 

Why is overemployment on the rise?

The overemployment trend peaked in 2022, when many companies remained fully remote and were still creating their return-to-office plans in the wake of the pandemic. But as financial pressures have continued to rise and the job market has weakened, overemployment has resurged. Many workers are holding onto multiple jobs not necessarily to get ahead, but to hedge their bets against layoffs, stagnant wages, and an unpredictable economy.

• Online influence and peer playbooks: Platforms like Reddit, notably the r/overemployed community, have created a library of detailed content complete with guides, templates, and even scripts for juggling multiple jobs undetected. These communities don’t just share tactics. They normalize and celebrate the behavior, framing it as savvy rather than risky.

• Job market uncertainty and risk hedging: In a volatile labor market, some employees see polyworking as a form of insurance. Holding multiple jobs means having a built-in backup plan if one role disappears due to layoffs or restructuring, they still have income from the other. It’s a way to stay one step ahead of the next round of cuts.

• Financial pressure: With inflation still outpacing wage growth in many industries, employees are turning to multiple income streams just to maintain a basic standard of living. Mounting debt, unaffordable housing, and rising healthcare costs have made a single paycheck feel increasingly inadequate, especially in high-cost urban areas. 

• Workplace cynicism: After years of layoffs, reorgs, and unkept promises about flexibility or career growth, many employees no longer see loyalty as a two-way street. Overemployment becomes a calculated move in a system they view as unstable or extractive.

Overemployment didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It’s a direct response to shifting economic pressures, organizational mistrust, and the growing belief that traditional employment no longer guarantees stability. 

Why overemployment is a real business risk 

Overemployment doesn’t just create inefficiencies. It undermines the entire framework of employment where time, effort, and trust are exchanged for compensation and mutual commitment. The risks are deeper and more operational than many companies realize. 

Productivity dilution 

Splitting attention between multiple jobs means each one gets less than full capacity. Even for high performers, cognitive fatigue and task-switching quickly reduce the quality and speed of work. Meetings get missed, deadlines slide, and overall work product goes from focused and strategic to minimal effort.

Security vulnerabilities

When an employee works multiple full-time jobs, the risk of data leaks and confidentiality breaches increases. Sensitive company information may be stored or accessed on personal devices used across multiple organizations. VPNs and software licenses may overlap. And in some cases, intellectual property may even be passed between employers.

Even when intentions aren’t malicious, the operational risk is real. 

Cultural damage 

At its worst, overemployment poisons team dynamics. It creates invisible gaps in accountability, burdens peers with extra work, and erodes the trust that fuels collaboration. When teammates have to pick up the slack of an underperformer who is “phoning it in,” frustration builds, and morale drops quickly. 

Overemployment doesn’t just affect the individual; it quietly reshapes how teams function and how trust is distributed. Left unchecked, it creates a slow leak in performance, morale, and culture that’s hard to trace until the damage is done. 

How to spot the warning signs 

Overemployment often hides in plain sight. The signs are subtle at first. Missed meetings, vague excuses, and a noticeable drop in engagement, but they add up quickly. No one wants to have to micromanage or surveil their team, but overlooking the signs of overemployment can have a ripple effect throughout the entire organization through missed deadlines, uneven workloads, and declining team morale. 

It’s a fine line to walk: staying aware of polyworking risk without overreaching or violating privacy. But there are practical, ethical ways to detect patterns that may signal a problem. 

Behavioral signs of overemployment

• Consistent unavailability during core hours or team meetings

• Frequent calendar blocks labeled as ‘busy’ with no explanation or purpose

• Inability to deliver on last-minute or impromptu assignments

• Regular excuses tied to vague personal issues or tech problems

• Frequent rescheduling or missed deadlines without a clear cause

• Unusual login patterns across time zones or outside normal hours

• Avoiding video during virtual meetings more often than usual

• Repeated silence or delayed responses when directly addressed in meetings

Jumping to conclusions based on a single behavior can backfire. What matters is the pattern, not the isolated incident. Without enough evidence, accusations risk damaging trust more than addressing the problem. We recently spoke with an executive at a software firm who has extensive experience dealing with overemployed workers. On the topic of red flags, they noted, "Any one or two of these signals may be a coincidence, but many of them combined is most certainly worth further investigation."  

Overemployment isn’t always easy to detect, but the longer it goes unchecked, the more damage it does. Spotting the warning signs early is the first step toward protecting performance, accountability, and team trust. 

How to address an employee you suspect may be overemployed

If the signs are adding up and suspicion is forming, it’s important to proceed carefully but decisively. Mishandling the conversation can erode trust, create legal exposure, or even damage team morale. The goal is not to accuse without proof, but to address performance or conduct concerns in a direct, fair, and documented way.

Start with facts, not assumptions. Focus on observable behavior: missed deadlines, lack of availability, or unresponsiveness. Keep the conversation grounded in impact. For example: “Over the past three weeks, there’s been a pattern of delayed responses and late deliverables. Can you help me understand what’s going on?” This opens the door for context without jumping to conclusions.

Avoid language that implies guilt before anything has been confirmed. Framing the issue around performance and expectations keeps the discussion neutral and professional. If the employee has a legitimate reason, such as personal stress, caregiving responsibilities, or burnout, it should be surfaced here. However, it’s important to note that dealing with the overemployed can be tricky, as employees might fabricate personal crises such as sick children, urgent doctor’s visits, or other emotional emergencies to lower a manager’s guard and avoid scrutiny. Online message boards for the overemployed are filled with threads where overemployed workers share strategies and brainstorm believable excuses for missing meetings or being unavailable during work hours.

If the inconsistency or erratic behavior becomes a pattern instead of an exception, it’s time to document the issue and begin a formal conversation about performance and accountability. 

Escalating further 

In some cases, a formal performance improvement plan (PIP) may be the right path. Not as punishment, but as a structured way to evaluate whether the employee can meet expectations within the role. If overemployment is suspected but unconfirmed, a PIP gives both sides clarity and creates documentation that protects the business if termination becomes necessary. 

Lastly, keep the process discreet. Gossip or visible escalation can do more damage than the overemployment itself. The goal is resolution, not spectacle. 

Preventing overemployment starts with wellbeing

Overemployment is rarely the first choice. It’s usually the last resort of a disengaged or financially stressed employee who feels that one job alone is not meeting their needs.

That’s why prevention starts not with punishment, but with strategy.

A proactive wellbeing framework can cut off the motivation for polyworking before it takes root. It starts with understanding the unmet needs behind the behavior and offering programs and policies that address them. 

Support financial wellness 

57% of employees reported that money is the leading cause of stress in their lives. Budget planning tools, debt counseling, and equity education can help reduce the need to seek outside income. When employees feel confident about their financial future, they’re less likely to double-book their time. 

Create career clarity 

Lack of growth opportunities is a key reason employees look elsewhere. Transparent paths for advancement, internal mobility, and skill development show that long-term value exists within the organization. 

Invest in mental health 

Chronic burnout leads people to disconnect, and disconnected employees are more likely to act in self-interest. Scalable access to mental health resources reduces stress and reinforces the company's commitment to employee wellbeing. 

The Navigate platform is built to address the root causes of overemployment by supporting the full spectrum of employee wellbeing. From financial wellness tools that help employees manage money with confidence, to on-demand mental health support and personalized career development resources, Navigate gives your workforce the clarity, support, and direction they need to stay focused and stay put. 

Overemployment isn’t just a policy problem. It’s a signal that something deeper is off. With Navigate, you can get ahead of it by building a workplace where employees don’t feel the need to split their focus in the first place. 

Policy, technology, and leadership alignment 

There’s no silver bullet for overemployment, but companies that respond consistently and clearly have a better chance of long-term resilience.

Strengthen contracts and expectations 

Employment agreements should clearly state your organization’s exclusivity terms, expected working hours, and consequences for breach. But more than legal language, it’s critical that these expectations are communicated transparently and reinforced regularly. 

Use technology to monitor patterns, not people 

Overemployment is rarely exposed by a single red flag. It’s a pattern of subtle behaviors that unfold over time. Modern HR platforms can surface these trends through engagement data, performance signals, and behavior shifts without resorting to surveillance tactics. The goal isn’t to watch every move, but to identify risk early enough to intervene with clarity and context.

Train leaders to surface issues before they become problems 

The most effective managers don’t just track performance; they notice when something feels off. With the right training, they can ask better questions, listen for emotional cues, and address early signs of burnout or disengagement before it turns into overemployment. Proactive leadership doesn’t just reduce risk. It builds a culture of accountability and trust. 

A final word on overemployment 

Overemployment is not just an isolated trend. It is a growing operational risk. When employees secretly hold multiple full-time roles, it leads to diluted output, missed deadlines, compliance issues, and a breakdown in team trust.  

Solving the problem requires more than policy updates. Companies need a system for spotting behavioral patterns early, equipping managers to respond effectively, and reinforcing expectations across the organization. With the right tools and structure in place, organizations can create an environment where full-time means full focus, and split priorities are no longer a hidden liability. 

Ready to see how Navigate helps organizations to transform employee engagement? Book your personalized demo today.